Michelle Bachmann doesn’t forgive and forget–especially if your name is Chris Wallace.

I’ve always thought that religious values were all about forgiveness.  So it should make news when a conservative, religious candidate like Michelle Bachmann doesn’t live up to her own stated moral values.  Let me set the stage.  Michelle Bachmann was doing an interview on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace when he asked her the question (in the context of the discussion–it didnt’ just come out of nowhere) that is quite honestly on a lot of people’s minds: “are you a flake?”

Bachmann was probably surprised to get such a difficult question on Fox News and apparently typical Fox viewers were outraged that a journalist would actually ask a candidate for the highest public office a serious question that is on a lot of people’s minds. Later, Fox News made Chris Wallace apologize for doing his job as a journalist:

But apparently Michelle Bachmann doesn’t forgive and forget, especially if your name is Chris Wallace:

How’s that for modeling forgiveness and religious values?

MN GOP State Senator David Hann gives Catholic Church a lecture on morality?

A recent letter by MN Republican State Senator David Hann to Archbishop John Nienstedt of Minneapolis/St. Paul betrays the desperation of the Minnesota GOP lawmaker’s position on the budget issue.  The thought of losing the support of Catholics on the budget issue is just too much for GOP lawmakers to bear.

But first, some context.  You see, on June 7th the Archbishop sent this letter to Governor Mark Dayton.  In it he urges the Governor to use all tools at his disposal to protect the poor and the needy–including increasing revenues.

More infallible than the Pope?

However, the idea of helping the poor at the expense of those who have more than they need already (the wealthy) didn’t sit well with GOP State Senator David Hann.  He wrote this ridiculous response to Archbishop Nienstedt in which he called the Archbishop’s hope in raising revenues (taxes) to help the poor a “socialist fiction.”  He then goes on to lecture the archbishop that poverty is a moral issue, not a financial issue.  I’d like to know the last time morals have ever pulled anyone out of poverty?  When was the last time morals have ever fed a family?  I’m pretty sure that increased finances actually have pulled people out of poverty though.  Thus, it seems that poverty actually is a financial issue.

If that isn’t enough, Senator Hann then suggests that because the Catholic Church is supporting Governor Dayton on the budget issue, the Church must also support the Governor’s pro-abortion and pro-same sex marriage positions as well.  Now that’s a new level of absurdity–tying the MN budget issue to abortion and same-sex marriage?!?  What next?!?

A morally-bankrupt politician.

You know what, on second thought, maybe Senator Hann has a point.  Maybe poverty is a moral issue.  How can we ever fix poverty in Minnesota if we as Minnesotans continue to elect morally-bankrupt politicians like David Hann who can’t even see that funding programs that help reduce poverty actually do help reduce poverty; and who stoops to new levels of desperation to keep Catholic voters in line.  We as Minnesotans have a moral responsibility to elect leaders who actually have some morals when it comes to helping the poor.

Well what do you know!  It seems that poverty is a moral issue after all!